Have You Found Happiness in Your Job?

I’m incredibly fortunate that my career is so closely tied to one of my greatest passions, board game creation. I’m very happy at my job. I had two other careers before this, one at a textbook publishing project management company and one at a nonprofit. While neither was quite as fulfilling as Stonemaier Games, I … Read more

Comfort Objects for Those in Mourning

When I was in Virginia recently for my father’s funeral prep (and the actual funeral), family, neighbors, and friends of my parents converged on the house with food. There were flowers too, but mostly food. My aunts believe that carbs and chocolate provide comfort for those in mourning. Since returning to St. Louis, it’s been … Read more

Martin Short’s Nine Categories

We listened to episode after episode of the delightful Smartless podcast on the recent drive to and from Virginia. One of my favorite episodes featured comedian Martin Short, who–in the midst of a lot of laughs–offered a thought-provoking insight. He talked about how long ago he created a system called “The Nine Categories.” He uses … Read more

It Happened So Fast

I’m now back in St. Louis after spending an unexpected week in Virginia for my dad’s funeral. I really appreciate the support and words of wisdom I received on my post about grieving earlier this week. Before I close out the week, I wanted to share with you just how fast things happened last Thursday, … Read more

Have You Slept in a Treehouse?

When I was a kid, I was lucky enough to have a treehouse in our front yard. My dad built it around a big tree, avoiding putting even a single nail in the tree. It was essentially a raised platform over a small creek, and I loved it. As an adult, treehouses continue to fascinate … Read more

My First COVID Test…and Dogs

On Sunday, my company hosted an event for around 70 full-vaccinated, masked attendees. It marked the first time I’ve been around that many people in nearly 2 years, and despite those precautions, I wanted to make sure I hadn’t somehow contracted COVID and potentially spreading it to others. So on Tuesday I took my first … Read more